Innocence
by Mufasa Lives On
Summary: Alex meets someone so innocent that he can't help but help. But is it the right move? Alex's views and morals are changed dramatically when he is thrust into the largest hunt the world has ever seen.
1. Chapter 1

**First Chapter**

Alex Rider sat in class, on his plastic school chair, severely bored.

His History teacher was droning on and on about the Second or First World War and something about Dunkirk. Alex wasn't really listening, so he never heard the school bell go. The only indication that it was time to pack up his stuff was the twenty or so students barging through the doorway into a corridor starting to fill with others. Alex hastily shoved his school things into his school bag and followed his best friend Tom out, relieved.

The next lesson was Maths – the only thing worse than History at Brookland. Alex's teacher, Mrs. Vaster, found it hard to speak loud enough in front of classes and so she hid behind her large desk and practically whispered throughout the lesson. If you didn't get to class quick enough, you were placed up the back where it was impossible to learn algebraic fractions and percentages. The only thing good about Alex's next lesson, was that it was the last one of the day, even though it wasn't even morning tea.

Alex's grade was going on an excursion. They were to catch a bus to the museum for the umpteenth time. This couldn't have been any more boring than staying at school, seeing as though Brookland visited the museum every year. Alex wasn't interested at all and Tom was desperately looking for an excuse not to go.

"We could just loose our permission slips," Tom suggested as they sat down in Maths. "Then they'd have to let us stay here."

"Silence please," asked the teacher, looking petrified as a tall student passed her. "Take out your nooks – I mean books! Please take out your books." Mrs. Vaster ducked behind her desk as the new deputy principal entered. Mrs. Vaster had so far been terrified of the new deputy but the reason was unknown.

"Mrs. Vaster? Mrs. Vaster?" called the deputy, Ms. Rio. "Oh, there you are!" Ms. Rio stuck her head under the table and emerged dragging Mrs. Vaster.

"I dropped my pen. It's alright now, I found it." Mrs. Vaster picked a pen off her table and showed it to Ms. Rio. Alex sniggered behind his hands as they began talking about a staff meeting later in the week.

After Ms. Rio had gone, Mrs. Vaster wrote some problems on the board and sat down behind her desk. Alex rested his head on his hand and began copying them down, one by one.

It wasn't until half an hour later, did Alex find an excuse to leave school for the day. And it came in the form of Mrs. Jones.

Mrs. Vaster screamed when someone knocked on the door, dropping her pen. The class laughed, making her blush deeply and scuttle to the door. She opened it and almost fainted when she saw Mrs. Jones in the door way.

"Good morning, you must be Mrs. Vaster," stated Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Vaster nodded and shrunk back when the visitor turned.

Alex made eye contact with her and glared. Why on earth she would be in his classroom, Alex didn't know.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"I'm not doing anything for you," said Alex, anger and impatience in his voice.

Mrs. Jones had done all but dragged him out of Maths with a signed note from Jack. Mrs. Vaster hadn't shown any emotion apart from fear and had insisted that Alex go with her, quickly. Mrs. Jones had grabbed hold of his upper arm and frog-marched him out of the school.

Alex had a whole class of witnesses and he hoped that if he was lucky enough, they would back him up in a court case for a restraining order against the right hand woman to Alan Blunt. In fact, he fully intended to march down to the courtroom and demand a restraining order at the next possible chance.

Alex was presently sitting in the horribly familiar office of Alan Blunt, on a hard wooden chair.

"I'm not doing anything for you," Alex repeated. "I've done enough. I want out and I thought I had it." Alex remembered the last time he had helped any undercover agency. And it has _he_ who had ended up 300 miles off the East coast of Australia, not _them_.

"It's just a simple in-and-out-"

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Alex shouted. "I thought I made that perfectly clear. Then you go and drag me out of school, effecting _my_ education, and expect me to do your bidding. I don't get paid, I don't get thanked-"

"We'll pay you for this one," announced Blunt.

Surprised, Alex tried to think of a retort. "It's not just about money, Mr. Blunt. You can't buy me off. Bribes don't work." Alex made to walk out but Mrs. Jones called him back.

"Let's make a deal," she suggested before popping another mint into her mouth. "You do something for us; we'll do something for you."

"What will you do?" Alex asked, turning back around slowly to face her. Blunt hadn't shown any surprise in her offer, it was obvious they had planned this conversation.

"We will send you on holiday – your choice of destination of course. As long as you want. We can give you five star resorts, first class transport, anywhere you want; anyway you want, anytime you want. We can give you a new house, your own car. I'm sure every young man out there wants a sports car. It's all up to you. We only want you to do a small job – literally in and out."

The car was tempting, but Alex knew better.

"No deal, and if you don't mind, I'm leaving." Alex was sure that, yes, they did mind, but he didn't really care. He yanked the door open and walked towards the elevators.

"You're being unreasonable!" exclaimed Mrs. Jones, running after him.

Alex ripped around and faced her again, startling her with his expression of anger. "_I'm_ being unreasonable? You're the psychotic masterminds, not me. I think I'm being fairly reasonable when I say I don't want in." Alex turned around and headed towards the elevators once more.

"Show him!" ordered Blunt. He didn't know what drove him to do it, but Alex turned back yet again. "Show him Echo."

Mrs. Jones, who the order had been directed at, looked completely bewildered.

"What the hell is Echo?' demanded Alex. "Tell me."

"That's classified information," hissed Mrs. Jones to Blunt. "We can't go showing him stuff like that. Why can't we get another agent, one who does not ask so many questions?"

"I'm leaving unless you tell me what's going on," announced Alex, but no one paid him any attention.

"It's not a matter of what he knows, we need to make sure we get them," said Blunt to Mrs. Jones.

Alex was clearly not going to stick around much longer, the courtroom closed in an hour, and he needed that restraining order. He turned on his heel and stalked back to the elevators. Mrs. Jones and Blunt were still bickering like an old married couple. Alex laughed at the idea that they had something going on.

"Alex, don't you walk into that elevator, young man!" bellowed Blunt. Alex, who had never heard him speak, or yell, like this before, was slightly surprised. But he wouldn't let them order him around. He took a step towards the elevator and pressed the down button. He glared at the red numbers above the elevator doors. The elevator was a couple of floors away yet, moving slowly.

Alex's attention was diverted when a loud bang came from a corridor to his left. Mrs. Jones and Blunt whipped around and raced each other to the source of the commotion. A door at the end of the corridor had blasted open and two figures ran out. Alex couldn't see their faces, only their silhouettes because the sunlight was behind them.

Alex saw the face of the closest runner as Blunt ran towards her. The girl seemed to be young, maybe a bit younger than him. She had a look of fear on her face, as though someone was chasing her. And indeed there was. Three people in fact. The man that had followed her out of the room had a broken nose that was bleeding down the front of his shirt. Another man was just emerging from the door, crawling on his hands and knees.

But Blunt was the first person to reach her. He launched himself at her and pushed her to the ground. She kicked at his knees and he loosened his grip slightly as her bare foot made contact just under his kneecap. The girl flipped herself over so she was facing upwards. Blunt, who had recovered from her kicks, grabbed her arms and flattened them against the floor.

The man with the broken nose drove his knees into the girl's legs and pulled out a gun. The girl immediately stopped struggling and her eyes widened. The broken-nosed man handed the gun to Blunt, who had let go, and pulled a pair of handcuffs out. He dragged himself up so he was standing and Blunt straightened beside him.

The elevator doors opened, but Alex wasn't paying attention. Mrs. Jones had walked over to the second man, who was still on his hands and knees and said something that Alex couldn't hear. The man with the handcuffs bent over the girl and rolled her onto her stomach, cuffing her hands behind her back. The girl lay still on her stomach, defeated expression on her face.

But not for long.

As soon as Blunt and the man with the broken nose looked away, she struggled to stand up and kicked at the back of Blunt's knees. He went crashing to the ground. The man beside him turned around and raised his gun which was shortly knocked out of his hands. The girl dove for the keys around his belt and turned around as to have full use of her hands.

Blunt was quick to get up. He pushed her back to the floor and the keys went flying, landing right at Alex's feet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Third Chapter**

---

**Author's Note:** Thank you so 1800174889 much for all of the reviews I've been getting.

---

Alex looked down at the keys at his feet. There were six keys on the key ring: three gold, two silver and a bronze. The small of the two silver keys was on its own small ring. Alex bent down and picked them up, shoving them in his pocket. He looked back to the struggle going on in front of him.

Mrs. Jones had joined the fight now holding the girl's feet down. The man with the broken nose was fumbling with the gun again. Alex briefly wondered why they bothered threatening her with the gun if they weren't going to kill her when she fought. Blunt was still pinning the girl with all the strength he had when Mrs. Jones spoke.

"How did she get out? Robinson, answer me!" she demanded.

The man with the still bleeding nose turned when he heard his name.

"Well, she kind of...broke out, I guess." Robinson hid behind his hands when Mrs. Jones gave him an angry look.

"Broke out? She's a child; you're a fully grown man with a gun. How the bleeding Hell did she _break out_?" Mrs. Jones screeched. Alex felt a pang of sympathy for Robinson.

"We all underestimated her, miss," called the man on all fours down the corridor. "You seem to do that a lot with children."

"Yeah!" agreed Alex.

Mrs. Jones turned, surprised. She had forgotten him. "Restrain her! Put her in a cell," ordered Blunt from the floor. Robinson grabbed the girl by the shoulders and threw her over his shoulder. She decided she wouldn't go without a fight. Kicking him and struggling further, she screamed.

"Won't!" she shouted at them, her voice thick with an accent. Mrs. Jones opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, the glass from the window at the end of the corridor shattered. The man on all fours rolled to the side, blood splattered across his chest. The girl stopped struggling immediately. "RUN!" shouted Blunt, grabbing Mrs. Jones by the arm and heading to the elevator where Alex was located. Alex jumped into the elevator and pressed the down button.

Bullets ricocheted off the walls and the wooden floors in bursts. Robinson tripped, sending him and the girl crashing to the ground in front of the elevator, both screaming. The girl pulled herself out from under Robinson who lay motionless, bloodstained. The girl stood up and screamed again.

"C'mon!" Alex shouted, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her to safety through the closing doors.

Blunt let go of Mrs. Jones's arm and pulled a walkie-talkie out of his pocket. As he put his mouth to the mouthpiece, a large slab of concrete fell through the roof of the elevator, separating Alex and the girl from Mrs. Jones and Blunt.

"Great," whispered Alex. "That's just great."

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Alan Blunt slumped against the elevator wall. He and Mrs. Jones were now separated from an angry spy (even though he won't admit it) and a girl who was wanted by four governments, three spy agencies, and countless criminals. The worst case scenario was that the two of them met. That worst case scenario had just happened. 

Mrs. Jones had wanted the two of them to meet. She believed that the girl could convince Alex to stay a spy; she thought that Alex would be able to convince the girl to hand over the information that they needed to, for lack of a better term, save the world. She wouldn't think these things if she knew all the details. The details were so highly classified that only three people in MI6 were privileged to know them. But no one else needed to know that Mrs. Jones knew...

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

**I'm so sorry it's short. I pinky-promise the next one will have at **_**least**_** a thousand words, alright?**

**QUESTION: Do the UKians drive on the left side of the road? Do the Americans? As an Australian who has never left there, I have no idea.**


	4. Chapter 4

Fourth Chapter 

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**Author's Note:** Sorry that this chapter is way overdue!

---

Alex pressed his ear against the crack in the cement slab. He was certain that Blunt was about to tell Mrs. Jones something and he wanted to find out what was happening.

"...stay away from Rider. If she told him what he wants to know, we will never get the information out of her. She has been sent by God knows who and she won't stop until she gets her message across. She knows we won't kill her."

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't understand. What does he want to know?" Alex could hear Mrs. Jones's voice full of curiosity.

"I'm not sure he exactly _wants_ to know, and I'm not sure what the information is, but the girl is not telling us what we want to find out, she's intent on telling Rider something..." Blunt's voice trailed off.

"How are we going to get the girl to tell us what we want to know? How do we even know she's the right person?" Mrs. Jones asked after a while.

Alex never found out what Blunt was going to say because the walkie-talkie suddenly answered Blunt's previous calls for help.

---

"Blunt. Come in Blunt. This is Unit 8. Over."

Blunt swooped down on the device and pressed it against his ear. "This is Blunt. What took you so long? Over."

"Sorry sir. We had some technical difficu-"

"Not good enough Unit 8. Over." Blunt sounded angry and impatient to Mrs. Jones. And he had every rite to.

"Sorry, sir. We are sending Rescue Team 2 in as we speak. We've been under attack-"

"For Christ's sake! I know we've been under attack. I was there!"

"Apologies, sir. Unit 1a are on it right now, sir. We have the offenders in questioning and some of our best men out there looking for more, sir. Over."

"Do you have identity for any of the men in questioning? Over."

"You mean _women_, sir. They were all women. Three of them are from the south of London and one is from the east. They say that they were sent to help a younger girl. They won't say who. Over."

"Hurry up Unit 8. Over," was all Blunt barked into the receiver.

---

It took the rescue workers forty minutes to free Blunt and Mrs. Jones. By this time, many peoples' patience had been worn down, many more had been yelled at and one worker was reduced to tears. Rescue Team 2 had promised to have everyone out by nightfall, but so far, the removal of the concrete slab was too dangerous to undertake whilst Alex and the mystery girl were still behind it.

Alex had been counting the minutes since the rescue team had contacted Blunt. Four hours and thirty-eight minutes. He had tried to start a conversation with the girl, asking her what her name was and similar questions, but she didn't seem to understand what he was saying. He had given up after five minutes. He decided to try again.

"My name is Alex," Alex said clearly, pointing to himself, even though she wouldn't have had a chance of seeing him in the darkness. "What is yours?" He pointed to the girl, uselessly.

"You Rider?" she asked, moving closer towards him. At least, that's what Alex thought she was doing.

"Yes, I'm Alex Rider," replied Alex, wondering how she knew his name.

"You know Ian Rider?" she asked.

Alex nodded, then realised she couldn't see him any more than he could see her, and said, "Yes".

"Where's he?" she asked.

"He passed on about a year ago. Why? Did you know him?"

"So there is no way to contact him?" she asked.

Alex found himself getting angry. What was she playing at? "Yes, gone, dead, no pulse, no way to contact him unless you want to dig up his body."

"Why so sour? You didn't say that he died," she huffed. Alex had reached boiling point and threw a piece of brick across the small space they occupied. During this act of rage, he remembered that he hadn't, in fact, said the exact words 'he's dead'.

"Watch it!" the girl yelled. "No need to get violent." Alex assumed that he had hit her with the brick.

As he was about to apologise, a chunk of concrete fell out of the slab and light came flooding in. Alex just had time to see his watch, telling him it was half past nine at night. Jack would be worrying about him now, if not hysterical. And there was no chance of getting a restraining order today.

---

The moment Alex was free, no less than four security guards jumped on the girl who had been cooped up with him. Then, more surprisingly, two grabbed him by his forearms and dragged him after her.

"What do you want me for?" he yelled at Blunt. Blunt just looked straight through him and gestured to a door down the corridor, the same one that the girl had escaped from before. Alex noticed that the two dead guards from before had been removed and the blood had been cleaned up. It disgusted him.

"Do you know why you're here?" Blunt asked the girl. Both she and Alex had been tied to chairs with hard rope and multiple security personnel were situated around the room. The room was simple – white walls, concrete floor, no windows, and bars across the door that held multiple locks.

"Kicked your arse," she replied. "And I need to tell Alex Rider something. And guess what! It's the something you want to know!" She smirked at Blunt. "Rider," she said, turning to Alex. "You-"

"ALEX RIDER NEEDS TO KNOW NOTHING! YOU SAY ONE MORE WORD AND THIS BULLET GOES STRAIGHT THROUGH HIS HEAD!"

Alex's head snapped around to face Blunt who was holding a gun aimed at his head. Alex had previously been glaring at the security guard nearest the door who had stuck his tongue out.

"What do you want to kill me for?" Alex shouted. "All I've ever done is help you against my will."

"You're life is unimportant to the seriousness of what she knows," Blunt said calmly.

Alex was anything but calm.

---

**Author's Note:** You need to tell me what you think. And, yes, I realise the girl's accent has disappeared a bit.


	5. Chapter 5

Fifth Chapter 

**---**

"You're crazy. Crazy. If this is a practical joke, I want out. Where'd you hide the cameras?"

Alex was feeling possibly the most scared and nervous he had ever felt in his life. He knew Blunt wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on him. He had heard Blunt say he wouldn't kill the girl. That made Alex jealous.

"Tell us everything, Echo," demanded Blunt, ignoring Alex. "Or Rider gets a bullet through his skull. If you so much as send Rider a message, I will shoot him. Understand?"

The only thing Alex found positive from this small speech was that he now had a name to give the girl. Echo. It was sort of catchy. Echo looked at Alex, then to Blunt, then to the gun. Then back to Alex. Then she nodded. Blunt stepped forward and pressed the muzzle **(A/N: Is that what it's called?) **of the gun to the back of Alex's neck. The metal felt cold against his skin.

"What do you want to know?" Echo asked.

"Everything."

"Thanks for he detail, it would have killed me if you had been vague," smirked Echo.

Alex immediately felt the pressure on the back of his neck disappear and he heard a loud _crack_. Echo screamed as a bullet missed her head by inches. "Why was Rider killed?" hissed Blunt.

"Alright! Rider was killed because he was on a list. Everyone on that list needs to be dead in the next three weeks or...or...something won't happen." Echo looked down at the floor, contemplating.

"But my uncle died over a year ago, coming back from a mission," Alex said. That's what he had been told.

"We aren't talking about your uncle, Alex," Echo said, making a big mistake.

Blunt pulled his gun away, bringing it towards his head. He then swung it at Alex's head, knocking him unconscious. Echo screamed and pulled against the rope tying her to the chair. "That's it! I'm not telling you anymore."

"I don't think you are in the position to anger me, Echo," Blunt said coldly, sending a shiver up her spine.

"How about you let me think about what I want to say?" she asked after a while. "I'm tired and I might not remember everything. As you said, I'm not in the position to anger you, but I might if I'm angry myself."

Blunt looked at his watch. "I will be back at 0900 hours. Make sure they don't do anything. Keep them here until I arrive. You can contact me by my mobile," Blunt ordered. And with that, he left.

**---**

Alex woke up with a splitting headache. Sometime while he was knocked out, he must have been untied, because he knew he was lying on the floor without even having to open his eyes.

When he did, he saw Echo staring back at him, her smile reaching her bright green eyes. "Come on, we must go."

Alex rolled over onto his back and sat up. Looking around the room, he saw a single guard slumped against the wall. Alex looked up at Echo. "What did you do?"

"_Apparently_, Blunt called and told the guards to leave. This one," she said, pointing to the one against the wall, "decided to stay, just in case. He'll wake up soon, so we must leave. Do you have the keys to the handcuffs?" she asked him.

Alex shoved his hand into his pocket and withdrew a key ring containing six keys. Echo turned around as Alex began to try different keys. He tried the small silver key that had its own key ring. When it didn't work, he tried the other silver ones, then the bronze. As he reached the last gold key, he heard shouts coming from beneath him, on the floor below. Trying the last key, he was quickly disappointed; it didn't open the lock.

"They aren't working!" Alex cried, about to try the bronze key for the second time.

"No time, lets go!" Echo led the way out of the door. The hallway was empty. "Out the window!"

Looking out the broken window that had shattered in the gunfight earlier that day, Alex saw the headlights of a car far below them. In fact, _fifteen_ floors below them. "My uncle worked on this level – look! There's the flagpole that I used to get into his office!" Alex pointed to a pole that was hardly visible in the rising sun.

"Do you think we can get to it?" Echo asked, looking further out the window for a better view.

"Are you insane?"

"You said yourself that you have done it," commented Echo, looking straight at him, silently calling him a hypocrite. "It shouldn't be that hard." She pulled her arms down as far as she could towards her feet and pulled her feet back over the handcuffs; bring her hands to rest now in front of her.

Wordlessly, she pulled herself onto the window ledge and swung her legs over. She gripped onto a small ledge inches below the window and let herself swing from it. Seconds later, her feet found another small ledge, only centimetres out from the wall. Slowly edging along it, she called to Alex to follow. And Alex did.

**---**

Room 1504, the late Ian Rider's office, had a drain pipe next to it. And this drain pipe led all the way down to the street below it. It was at least seven thirty when Alex landed in the street outside MI6 Headquarters.

---

**Author's Note:** This is short, but I put it up as quickly as I could because I owe you all a chapter.

I have a few questions to ask you:

1) Would you rather Alex had a Godfather or a Grandfather?

2) Is it really _that_ important that Echo keep her accent?

3) Should Echo and Alex skip the country by boat or plane? (yes, I gave away part of the plot! Hehehe)

4) What should I name Alex's Godfather/Grandfather?

Please, tell me what you think because I need answers to all of these questions before I submit the next chapter, its that important.

Love for all,

Mufasa


	6. Questions

Hello, this is an update!

I'm just checking for what _you_ want.

1) You (the reviewers) have voted on Alex having a Godfather. But don't worry Saynt Jimmy – I'm including a part with Alex's family.

2) So far, skipping the country by boat seems popular. I was so close to adding 'cycling' as a method of running away, but I refrained.

NOTE TO SAYNT JIMMY'S iPod: YOUR NAME WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE STORY!! YIPEE!

Here are a few more questions – I'm so sorry for keeping you, but I NEED to know what yu think:

1) Should I add another main character? Male or female?

2) Should MI6 stay the baddies?

3) Who wants a celebrity guest appearance?

Love, Mufasa.


	7. Chapter 6 part 1

**Sixth Chapter – Sorta like a filler - sorry**

---

"Do you know how to drive?" Echo asked Alex as they dodged security cameras around MI6 Headquarters.

"No, do you?" asked Alex, not expecting a positive answer.

"Only manual cars. I never quite got the hang of automatics."

Alex looked at her in surprise. "How old are you, anyway?"

"I'm twenty next month."

Echo didn't look it in the small light that the sun gave them at this time of the morning. But as Alex looked closer, he could see her dirt-streaked face was making her look younger than she really was. Her black, curly hair covered most of her face as well. Even though she was short, she looked older, now that he knew how old she really was. And her hands gave her away – they had a strangely 'old' look about them.

"Come on, let's keep going down this road." Echo pointed to a dingy side street full of cars parked on the side and tipped over rubbish bins.

The sun was rising quickly and the streets began to fill slowly: drunks from bars, early risers, keen business men. Alex wondered whether Echo's appearance would attract attention. She _was_ wearing handcuffs.

"I'm so stupid," muttered Echo, whacking a hand to her forehead. Alex stopped walking and looked at her curiously. Echo pulled a hairclip from her hair and twisted it around in her hands. She slipped her nail under a small catch and flipped the clip open. She inserted the clip into her handcuffs and they opened as she turned it.

With a look of triumph on her face, Echo walked to the nearest car and slipped the clip through its lock. The car was expensive looking.

"Are you insane?" hissed Alex, looking around for witnesses. "You can't steal that car – it's not yours."

"Isn't that the definition of stealing?" asked Echo. "Besides, I'm _not_ stealing it. Look, there is MI6, right?" she said, pointing to the bank. "And we are pretty close. I'm only creating a distraction." She crouched down then opened the car door.

Alex cringed as the alarm went off.

---

"I'm not walking any further until you tell me who you are, why you are here, what you want and–"

"I'll tell you if you promise to listen," interrupted Echo, turning around. She and Alex had walked through the back streets around MI6 for twenty minutes before Alex decided to speak up. They were still close to the bank thanks to Alex's plan – "They will expect us to get as far away as possible. We stay close and hidden."

Not waiting for Alex's reply, she kept walking. Alex caught up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, spinning her around. "Tell me now!" Alex demanded, attracting the attention of other people along the street.

"If I tell you, it's not going to be until I trust you. Right now we need to get out of the country."

"Get out of the country?" asked Alex. "Why would we do that?"

"You need to meet someone who can give you the answers to all your questions. Please, come with me. You can't stay here," pleaded Echo.

"Why should I trust you?" asked Alex. "You don't trust me."

"Because I'm the only life-line you have left."

---

**Author's Note:**

**God, I feel so guilty. I haven't written for ages and then I go and give you guys this teency paragraph. To make it up to you, I swear I will devote more time to you all.**


	8. Chapter 6 part 2

Seventh Chapter 

---

Echo looked up. Alex was twenty meters in front of her now. He was blending into the crowd as if he belonged, but Echo was sticking out like a saw thumb. Her clothes and hair were dirty and she was missing her shoes. Passers-by dodged her and stared.

By now, Alex was only a hundred meters from the train station. They had organised to catch the midday train out of the country and everything was going smoothly. So they thought.

The man with the sunglasses was just as noticeable as Echo was. His black coat and shiny shoes gave him a look of authority. But when the wind picked up, the small gun hidden under his freshly-laundered shirt was just as noticeable. The man quickly wrapped his coat around the front of him, but it was too late. Echo had seen if from the other side of the street.

Her feet were victim to shooting pain as she ran down the street. Glass and gravel tore at her skin as she pelted after Alex. Echo called out to Alex, using the fake name 'Felix' as they had organised. Alex must have been listening, because he turned straight away.

"The station's off," Echo told Alex as they ran down the street.

---

"Sorry," laughed Echo as she went crashing into Alex. She let out a high-pitched giggle as the ground tipped the other way. Alex frowned and pressed his hands against the walls in a corner.

Alex was getting angry. The situation they were in was not the least bit funny, and there Echo was, laughing like a school girl.

All Echo had told Alex in the last couple of hours was that the two of them were on a ship, headed south towards Morocco. They had just passed France and were somewhere between Portugal and Spain. Echo had informed Alex that they were to get off the ship just off the shore, a couple of miles north of Casablanca.

Alex knew he was illegally being transported – he had figured it out just after Echo had left him for a couple of hours, returning with only a pair of old shoes for herself, a small bulging briefcase and a blank look on her face, telling him they were to 'leave for Baghdad'. When Alex refused ("there's a war going on!"), Echo insisted that Alex joined her. When Alex asked why, Echo handed him a small photo of a soldier.

The man in the photo looked to be about twenty, with dark hair and a wide smile. On the back of the photo was written: "Damian Rider. Died 20/10/2006".

"Who was this?" Alex had asked.

"That _is_ your Godfather and your cousin. You're going to meet him soon."

"But he is dead," Alex had said. Echo had only smiled.

---

"Could you stop that?" Alex asked Echo. Even though it was pitch black in the cramped and smelly cabin, he knew Echo was going to run to the other side of it the next time the ship tipped.

"Lighten up, Rider," she replied.

"_Lighten up? _You want me to _lighten up?_ We are illegally skipping the country to go to see a dead man. We have just run away from MI6 and no one knows we are here. I'm sorry if I can't _lighten up,"_ hissed Alex quietlyish, in the off chance that the rest of the cabins inhabitants might hear his criminal activities.

Echo stopped right in front of Alex. "What do you want from me?" she asked.

"I want answers," Alex answered darkly.

"Ask me five questions, and five questions only and I will answer them truthfully."

"Good! OK...Who are you?"

Echo sighed. "I knew that would come up. I come from Afghanistan. I have many names, but the only one you are going to know me by is Echo. In the past, I was a doctor. I am married to a man you will never meet. I am in love with a man you hopefully will. I met your Godfather, Damian, two years ago, and he has helped me out greatly. I came to get you because I want to. Please know that at any time, I can leave you. Whether I will or not, I don't know. Don't think that I hate you or I am trying to hurt you or leave you out, because I'm not. I really don't have all the answers, but Damian might."

Alex nodded, even though Echo wouldn't have been able to see him. "Why are we going to see my Godfather, who is dead?"

"Damian isn't dead. Everybody else thinks so, though. When you meet him, he will tell you why. I don't think it is my place to say."

"Why are we skipping the country?" Alex asked as soon as she stopped talking.

"You are in grave danger. I can't say anything now, because I don't know yet if my information is correct. As soon as we get to the capital of Morocco, I will tell you."

"How are we getting to Baghdad?"

"We will catch a helicopter from Rabat to Tripoli, in Libya. From there, we shall sail to Beirut, where we must find our way to Euphrates, the river. When we get close enough to Baghdad, someone will come to take us the last of the way."

Alex considered this for a moment, trying to think back to his Geography lessons.

"You still have one more question," stated Echo, just as the ship tilted.

"I'll save it up," Alex said in reply, grabbing onto Echo, lest she fall.

---

It was a few hours later when Alex decided what his last question would be.

"Echo?" he whispered. He believed that she had fallen asleep some minutes ago. "Are you awake?"

"Mhm," came the drowsy reply.

"What was it that you know that Blunt wants to know?"

Echo didn't reply for a few moments. "Do you promise never to tell anyone? And talk about it only in the presence of people I have permitted you to?"

"Hey, if I survive this, I won't tell a soul," Alex said, raising his hands.

She still seemed hesitant. "You know how I told you about Damian Rider?" she asked.

Alex nodded. Remembering they were in another pitch-black situation, he said 'yes'.

"And he is not dead, right? Well, he had to 'fake' his death, because he knows too much...some secret that he almost revealed when he was serving in the army. I can't reveal other people's secrets, so I will ask Damian if he will tell you.

"Anyway, it wasn't the English Government's secret, but it involved them. A powerful..._cult_-like group from all around the world, called Battlestrike, it's a secret group, of course, didn't want the government to find it out either. Damian was forced into hiding, faking his death.

"Blunt doesn't know that Damian is dead and there have been rumours that Battlestrike does. There have been rumours going on for a few years now, about a huge event, and we know that Battlestrike is involved. Damian would like you to help us find out."

"And what exactly does Blunt want to know?"

"He thinks I kow what Battlestrike are up to."

"And do you?"

"I have an idea...but if I am right, you are in danger."

---

**God I hate writing short chapters, but I needed to give you all this information. I have spent a while now planning where Alex and Echo will go, so, I hope you can forgive me.**


	9. VOTE

OK, I know I have been a horrible person, but I have been debating with myself for a while.

We've all read Snakehead by now, right?

IF NOT, DO NOT READ ON!!!!!

Well, seeing as though we have just found out who Alex's godfather is, would you read my story anymore if I continued?

Just a simple 'hell yes' or 'heck no' will do fine for me.

xxxxxxxx


	10. Chapter 6 part 3

**Wow, you guys! Claps for my favourite readers!!**

---

Alex Rider jolted awake as a loud thump echoed around the vicinity. He felt himself falling and he put his hands in front of him, to break his fall.

"Jeez, that was my leg!" came a sharp hiss in Alex's ear.

Alex turned in the dark. "Echo?"

"No, I'm the Queen of England. Now, will you help me up?"

Alex got to his feet and leant down to help up Echo. He jerked backwards when something collided with his head.

"Ouch!" came two voices in the dark.

"Sorry Rider, I didn't see you." Alex felt Echo stand up next to him and grope for the corner.

Alex opened his mouth to ask Echo where she thought they were when he hesitated. The floor was no longer rolling beneath his feet and new sounds were emerging.

"I think we just stopped," commented Echo, thinking along the same lines as Alex.

Alex was about to say 'well, yeah' when the walls and floor shook and a deafening _bang_ throbbed throughout the ship. The floor tilted dramatically to the left, sending everyone in the small cabin sprawling to the floor and crashing into a wall.

The ship teetered there for a few precious seconds before it tilted the _other_ way, causing mayhem.

Alex shouted out when a shelf from the wall slammed into his head. "Lie on the ground," shouted Echo from the floor. Alex obeyed, clamping a hand to his sore head.

"What was that?" Alex asked as the ship tilted again.

"I have no idea," answered Echo in distress. "It couldn't have been good though."

"Do you think we are far from Morocco?" Alex asked.

"I'm not sure, but I wish I knew."

---

The door was unexpectedly opened, a metre from Alex's head. Light flooded in, blinding Echo and Alex.

"Get up," grunted a voice from above Echo. "This is you stop, an' I want you offa me ship. You not sposta be 'ere!"

"Thanks, Henry!" chimed Echo from beside Alex. The man reached down and grabbed them both by the backs of their shirts.

"I'm _not_ Henry!" he hissed into their ears before dragging them to the side of the ship and _throwing_ them over the side.

---

Alex gasped in shock. The side of the ship rushed by in the dazzling sunlight and he only just had time to straighten up before his feet hit water.

The water was cold and dark as it rushed over his head. Alex felt the waves of Echo as she landed beside him, bubbles rising to the surface. He kicked his feet until his head was again in fresh sea-scented air. Looking up at the ship, Alex just had time to dodge a suitcase falling towards him.

He and Echo said nothing as the ship started up again and sped away.

"Echo...where _are_ we?" Alex asked, looking around at the multiple landless horizons.

She just gulped.

---

**Hey guys, I'm putting this up and updating in the next two days.**

**Enjoy the cliffhanger now, won't you?**


	11. Chapter 6 part 4

"Echo! Where are we?" Alex shouted.

To Alex's immense surprise, Echo burst into tears.

"I don't know! We're not supposed to be here!" Echo was struggling to keep afloat and let her emotions out at the same time. "Now we're lost and it's my entire fault!"

For the next minute, Echo was totally inconsolable.

Not that Alex would have been able to make her feel any happier, had he opened his mouth.

Echo took a deep breath and turned in the water. Her eyes narrowed in the setting sun, searching for land. The only feature she could find was the retreating ship.

Then Alex looked directly up.

---

"Ah, Echo?"

"Please be quiet Rider, I'm looking for help."

"Echo, you should really look up."

"You're not suggesting we _fly_ are you?"

Echo looked up anyway.

"Oh, you are..."

Directly above the two water bound figures was a black helicopter, coming closer and closer. They could hear the rotors above the sound of the waves now and it was becoming louder.

"Do you think it's a safe helicopter?" asked Echo.

"Does it look safe?"

"...no..."

About twenty metres above Alex's head, a rope ladder was released from inside the chopper, followed by a head.

A hand extended from the confines of the cabin, gesturing them up.

"If they were going to kill us, they would have done it by now, right?" asked alex.

"Yep."

"And there's quite a good chance that they mean no harm."

"Yep."

"I mean, they are giving us an option – drown or climb aboard."

"Just start climbing, would you."

Alex swam to the bottom of the ladder and dragged himself up, one painful rung at a time. Below him was Echo, heaving herself up slowly.

Around six rungs from the chopper, Alex stopped, contemplating. If he backed out now, there was hardly and hope of survival – but how safe would he be if he kept going?


End file.
